Last SOLDIER Standing
by ZackiepoosCloud
Summary: After the news about Zack Fair, Kunsel finds himself entering a state of depression- one which is completely shattered when he meets a female infantry soldier named Hito. One that he seems to take a particular over protectiveness to.


**The Battalion Commander's Pet:** C: New fanfiction. I don't own anything but my OCs. I wish I owned Kunsel. D He's a cutie-pa-tootie~ 8D

This story is based after the incident in Nibelheim, where Sephiroth lost his mind and tried to kill _everyone_. A message was sent out in the game _Crisis Core_ that Sephiroth and Zack were K.I.A. and it was sent to all ShinRa personell. So.. naturally, Kunsel- being Zack's best friend and all- had to have taken it very hard. e.e

It started late at night. The message was sent out about the incident at Nibelheim. SOLDIER second class, Kunsel, had just returned to ShinRa Headquarters when he received the message- such horrible… untruthful messages. ShinRa-… had to be lying, correct? Kunsel dropped is cell, his eyes wide beneath the helmet he wore. The brunette SOLDIER fell back on the bench behind him, a black gloved hand to his mouth to hold back the sob working it's way to the surface. _SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair- K.I.A._ Kunsel shook his head as he read the message again, or rather… that particular line. Everything else, to him, didn't matter. Sephiroth being killed as well was quite the shock, yes- and as far as infantry soldiers went, well.. they could always be replaced. But, Zack..? The idea was too much to- fathom, at the moment. Kunsel couldn't believe it, any of it! This was a lie! It had to be… Kunsel stood up and shoved the cell in his pants' pocket, storming away from the bench he was seated upon. He wanted answers- and he wanted them now.

Walking through the hallway of the ShinRa building, Kunsel was on his way to confront Lazard when he was intercepted by an infantry soldier. 'Ah, irritating grunts. This is not what I want right now,' Kunsel thought as he stopped and folded his arms over his chest. "What? I'm very busy right now and I don't have time for-"

"I'm sorry, sir." 'Such a feminine voice for a grunt,' thought Kunsel. "But I have orders from the Turks to catch you."

"The Turks?" The infantry soldier nodded to the distressed SOLDIER. Kunsel sighed and shook his head. "Fine!"

"Ah- of course the damn helicopter got shot down!" Kunsel stood up and shook his head, brushing the dirt from his uniform. "Why wouldn't it be!"

"Someone's in a lovely mood." The infantry soldier muttered under his breath as he also pushed himself to a standing position. He took a few steps forward, before folding his arms over his chest. "The behemoth is somewhere around here.." His eyes moved about the landscape, taking in ever detail of Mount Nibel as he could see from beneath the ShinRa infantry helmet. "Such a dull place.." He shook his head once again, slowly in disappointment, before turning his attention upon Kunsel. "Do you want to lead? I'm right behind you, all the way."

Kunsel stopped and stared at him. The soldier's statement had taken him off guard, but- he wasn't letting his guard down. He wasn't going to let.. anyone in ever again. Especially not an infantry soldier. He knew- or, at least Kunsel thought he knew- that he would never see this soldier again after this mission. Kunsel turned with a huff and started up the path silently, his mako blue eyes on the alert, searching for anything that could be the behemoth. Surely enough, by his side, was that infantry soldier- the entire time, despite Kunsel being silent and cold to him. It had to be one of the two things on Kunsel's mind: Loyalty or stupidity. From what Kunsel knew of grunts, it was most likely the latter.

Keeping his comments to himself, Kunsel focused on the mission once again before the creature they were searching for popped up. This mission had been to find this creature and eradicate it, since it was an escape specimen from Hojo's lab. The creature had also been the cause of mysterious killings in and around the Nibelheim area, so it was best to exterminate the creature as quickly as possible. Hence why a SOLDIER was sent after it: to destroy it.

"Stay back!," he exclaimed to the infantry soldier, whho stepped back obediently. Going in alone- letting himself fall to the darkness.. such darkness that made him shut the world away, because Kunsel didn't know what else to do; he didn't know how else to deal with the pain. All he knew was what he had learned at SOLDIER. Taking that in to effect, Kunsel pulled the sword from his back and rushed at the large behemoth.

*Gah!* In a splatter of blood, Kunsel was thrown back on to the blood-stained grassy ground of Mount Nibel. The behemoth was over him before the SOLDIER could gather his thoughts. The jaws of death were inches away from his(Kunsel') neck. It's forepaws pinned Kunsel down by keeping it's forepaws on his elbows and it's hindlegs pressed to his knees. Kunsel turned his head away, trying to twist his body free and reach for the sword. But, to no avail. He was stuck, and- accepting the idea of death.. 'Maybe then I'll see Zack…'

But then, the body of the behemoth tensed up. It fell to the side, limp and lifeless. A bullet hole accented itself right between the monster's eyes, blood slipping out the wound, nose, and mouth- the jaw agape and tongue lying out. Kunsel sat up, looking around to find the source- his eyes falling upon the infantry soldier, who had knelt down and fired. The soldier stood up and slung the rifle over his shoulder, then ran to Kunsel's side. The helmet of the SOLDIER was pried off, the infantry soldier looking over to him.

Kunsel was ripped out of his shock when the infantry soldier started lifting his shirt up. "Hey!" He exclaimed, slapping the soldier's hands away. "Are you gay!" The soldier sat back, dumbfounded as Kunsel pulled his shirt down.

"Ah~" The soldier pulled the helmet from his head, freeing the spiky set of blond hair and making his crimson eyes visible. "No," _she_ clarified. "I'm a girl." That right there threw Kunsel for a loop, his eyes widening. "I'm Hitogoroshi Manjoume," she extended a brown gloved hand to him, then pulled It back after a second thought. "And, like I said," her hands went back to pulling up his shirt, slowly prying it away from the steadily drying blood from the huge gashes on his side. "I'm right behind you all the way." She grimaced at the sight, biting her lower lip. "You might wanna get this patched up," Hito said with a smirk to him.

Kunsel nodded slowly. He really didn't know what to do at this point.. Hito had caught him off guard, and- he just really didn't know what to do. He could tell she already started worming her way past his defenses. Kunsel didn't want that- especially since she was a _grunt_. Such things that were so disposable; and for every grunt killed off- there were about a load more popping out of basic training. So, girl or not- "Wait! You're- You're a girl!" Kunsel exclaimed. Hitogoroshi snickered at that reaction, nodding to him as she stood up. "How is a girl a grunt!"

That smiling and amused expression shifted to one of irritation, and not even the subtle type. More.. borderline rage to him, and Kunsel couldn't fathom what he had done to deserve it. And, this is why he kept those walls up now. Not even five minutes of talking to her, and he'd already screwed up. Great. "Don't call me a 'grunt' okay?" She said through clenched teeth. Kunsel went to protest, then shut his mouth as he saw her clench her fists. He understood now… He'd been so used to that derogatory term that- he just… used it naturally.

He nodded in submission. "Sorry," he added under his breath. The brunette SOLDIER looked away, frowning at his own mistake. He felt like such a jack ass- it wasn't even funny.

Hito, however, didn't seem to be _too_ bothered by it- for she eased up and nodded her thanks to him. "Good, then we're friends again," she said with a joking tone, followed by a playful giggle. The expression he gave her was not the type she was expecting. No, instead, it actually made her quite concerned… But she didn't openly express such concern- instead; she hid it behind that mask of amusement which she had on previously. Unlike him, she didn't show her questioning defensive look. _Unlike him._

"Friends?" He echoed as she extended a hand to him. Kunsel took it and pulled himself up slowly. If Hito had to guess, she would have figured that he had never heard the word before. What, with how he said it and all…

"Yeah, you know~" She pulled his arm over her shoulders, silently beckoning for him to use her body for support. "Don't act like you've never had any before. If so, you're a sorrier case than I suspected." Kunsel bowed his head, letting the brunette bangs fall over his mako blue eyes. The shadow casted over caused his eyes to glow in the slight darkness, due to the mako and all… Hito sighed and shook her head as she felt his body start to tremble. She could tell something was wrong- but it was not her business to pry. "Well…" she smiled to him before she started walking. "We can- get a room, right before ShinRa picks us up." Hito found that.. SOLDIERs were heavier than they looked. That was saying something! But, she pushed on, helping him down the mountain.


End file.
